Donnie Wahlberg Thanks Jesus after Frightening Plane Incident: ‘God Covered Us’
Singer and actor Donnie Wahlberg is crediting heroic pilots and God’s protection after his airplane skidded off a runway Sunday and narrowly avoided vehicles, allowing him to walk away uninjured.
Wahlberg was on board a private plane attempting to fly from Las Vegas’ Harry Reid International Airport to Toronto Pearson Airport in Canada when the pilot aborted the takeoff, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) told People. Wahlberg had just wrapped up New Kids on the Block’s “The Right Stuff” residency in Las Vegas, which concluded Saturday.
He was aboard a Dassault Falcon 50.
“Thank you, Jesus,” he said in a video posted on his Instagram.
Wahlberg was standing on the runway in the video, moments after the incident, and said he recorded it for friends and family but chose to make it public after an outpouring of concern from fans.
“We're all okay — I'm okay,” he said. “We were taking off and didn't get up in the air, and ran out of runway. … I'm just going to tell you these pilots saved our lives, and God covered us.”
Pointing behind him, Wahlberg added, “I'm not sure how many fences we avoided, but we didn't avoid the last one — but we avoided those trucks and heavy equipment and the dumpsters behind that.”
He then expressed gratitude to God and reassured fans that everyone was safe.
“God is good. We just finished praying, and I looked out the window and said, ‘We are not going up in the air today, but we're safe and thankful, and all is well. Okay? Don't worry. Praise God. Thank you, Jesus."
Wahlberg, 57, has spoken openly about his faith in recent months, recently sharing a video of himself and his wife, Jenny McCarthy, getting baptized.
In the video's caption, Wahlberg offered more details about the ordeal and thanked the pilots and emergency responders.
“Getting a lot of concerned messages and texts about my flights failed attempt at leaving Las Vegas this morning. Thank you to all! I appreciate your concern and well wishes. I made this video for my friends and family, after the incident, but so many of you all are my family too so I figured I’d share with you. Yes, it was me and my team/friends onboard the aircraft. It was a rather intense few moments (which felt like a few long minutes).
“Thankful to God, of course, and to our incredible pilots who did an amazing job of keeping us safe and avoiding a serious disaster. The airplane did take some lumps — but we did not. Thank you to all the emergency personnel on the ground in Las Vegas! You all were absolutely wonderful.
“All glory to God! By His grace, we are all ok. His #love truly is eternal.”
Photo Credit: ©Instagram.com/DonnieWahlberg
Michael Foust has covered the intersection of faith and news for 20 years. His stories have appeared in Baptist Press, Christianity Today, The Christian Post, the Leaf-Chronicle, the Toronto Star and the Knoxville News-Sentinel.
Listen to Michael's Podcast! He is the host of Crosswalk Talk, a podcast where he talks with Christian movie stars, musicians, directors, and more. Hear how famous Christian figures keep their faith a priority in Hollywood and discover the best Christian movies, books, television, and other entertainment. You can find Crosswalk Talk on LifeAudio.com, or subscribe on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an interview that will be sure to encourage your faith.
Originally published October 19, 2026.
